Dr. César Rey, in turn, wants to speak about that “Project for the country”, which does not exist in Puerto Rico. However, first he wants to find an answer to: how is it reached?

The need to build that project is based on “the context of a welfare state. There is the inertia of a massive (level of) unemployment and there is an element of ‘pacifier’ keeping (the country) without a sense of direction, without purpose. To speak about that Project in this context is an uphill battle. (The present project) is a project of dependence”.

He adds that in that welfare state “measuring is very adverse for us”.

This does not mean that the project is not possible. On the contrary, Rey believes that it is vital to infuse it with the degree of “urgency” that it deserves. However, he knows that it is equally important to know how rugged the path travelled will be. “The foundation that must be built is to pressure the country so that a majority emerges to create that project”.

“A majority of liberal people who believe that it is preferable reduce an hour of work from the whole country before firing thousands of employees”, adds Aragunde. “Who believe it to be convenient to raise the wealthy (people’s) taxes, to separate the churches’ morality from the Government’s public policy, for homosexuals to embrace their citizenship, for nature to be protected, etc”.

The three educators will actively participate as speakers in IDEC 2012, where they will further explore these and other subjects. Along with dozens of other educators they seek to use the international conference as a platform towards the realization of that model for a collective project for the country.

“We need a project for the country”, says Méndez Arámburu “…(t)o create a model for that project and to implement it. IDEC 2012 should be of use for that purpose. The intention is for it to be a starting point, much more than a successful one-week activity. All of the effort we are putting into being able to hold it in Puerto Rico must serve a greater purpose”.